Skip to main content

Sean “Diddy” Combs, the renowned hip-hop mogul, has been detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn since his September 2024 arrest on charges including sex trafficking and racketeering. The facility is notorious for its overcrowding, understaffing, and reports of violence and neglect. So, what do Combs’ mornings look like before he heads to the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse in New York City? Here’s what the former deputy warden at the MDC explained.

The former deputy warden of the Metropolitan Detention Center explained how Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs gets to court

Related

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Will Get ‘Real Experience’ of Prison Life if Found Guilty, Former Prison Warden Says

Each morning, Sean “Diddy” Combs arrives at Manhattan federal court under tight security. His demeanor remains composed despite the gravity of the charges he faces. Dressed in tan prison-issued attire and escorted by U.S. Marshals, he enters the courthouse with a steady gait, often acknowledging the presence of family members and supporters in the audience. The courtroom has become a stage for a complex family dynamic, with Combs’ children and mother frequently in attendance.

Dr. DeWayne Hendricks, the former deputy warden of the Metropolitan Detention Center, spoke to Law&Crime about the protocol for inmates headed to court.

“Typically, every day, between 2 and 4 p.m., the marshals will let the receiving discharge staff know which inmates have court the next day,” Hendricks explained. “So, after the 5 a.m. count clears, the staff will awaken those inmates if they’re not already awake and get them ready to be taken down to the receiving and discharge area to be out processed to the court.”

“Again, he’s a marshal’s inmate, so he would move with them — either in a van or in a bus, or however they’re going to transport the number of inmates that need to go to court,” Hendricks continued.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs can eat a continental breakfast before court

According to Dr. DeWayne Hendricks, Sean “Diddy” Combs can partake in a continental breakfast each morning before he heads into the courtroom.

“The food is prepared three days in advance,” Hendricks said. “Typically, breakfast is a continental-type breakfast.” He added that the workers who prepare breakfast are awake “well before the 5 a.m. count. Most of their workers are up about 1 or 2 in the morning. So, they’re already preparing.”

Combs doesn’t have to eat the breakfast that the prison offers. “I heard he complained about the food at the institution,” Hendricks continued. “So, he may even snack on some of his commissary food before he is brought down to receiving and discharge.”

The hip-hop mogul’s lawyer said the food is the ‘roughest’ part of jail for his client

Inside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, Sean “Diddy” Combs is allegedly contending with harsh and unforgiving conditions. The facility has a long-standing reputation for overcrowding, insufficient medical care, and sporadic heating and electricity. Inmates often report extended lockdowns, limited access to showers, and inadequate nutrition. For Combs, these realities are compounded by the lack of privacy, constant surveillance, and the psychological toll of isolation.

According to Combs’ lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, one aspect of prison life may get to Combs the most. “I think the food’s probably the roughest part of it,” Agnifilo told The New York Post.

Typically, Combs can have sheet pan pizza, chili con carne, minestrone soup, turkey chow mein, and sloppy joes for lunch or dinner. Breakfast options include oatmeal, waffles, grits, breakfast pizza, and bagels with cream cheese.

How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area. 

For more news and exclusive interviews, follow Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s Instagram.

Best in News